vees:blog

The field of 26 playoff teams in Alberta and BC has been whittled down to 2.

The Vernon Vipers and Grande Prairie Storm are set to do battle for the right to advance to the RBC Cup in Victoria.

The Storm have been idle since April 5th when they swept the Spruce Grove Saints in the Enerflex Cup (AJHL Final), while the Vipers dispatched of the Powell River Kings last night in Game 6 of the Fred Page Cup in Vernon.

There are a few interesting storylines set up for the Doyle Cup, here’s a peek at the details…

COACH VANDEKAMP

Mike Vandekamp’s return to Vernon should be fun to watch. The Grande Prairie Coach and Director of Hockey Operations has an extensive BCHL coaching career in Merritt, Vernon and Powell River. Vandekamp has been named BCHL coach of the year twice including in ‘01/’02, his first year as the head coach of the Vipers.

Vandekamp Coached Vernon for four seasons (’01/’02 to ‘04-’05) taking the Vipers to the final in all but one of those years, and leading the snakes to a Fred Page Cup Championship in ‘02/’03. The Vipers eventually were eliminated by the Camrose Kodiaks (sound familiar Vees fans?) in the Doyle Cup.

SERIES STARTS AT CIVIC CENTRE

The Vipers will open the first leg of the series in the Vernon Civic Centre, not the Westbild Centre which is booked for a forestry show. It’s a case of bad timing for the Vipers who will now be maxed out at just over 2000 fans per game rather than the 3000+ that fit the Wesbild Centre. Should the Vipers have closed out the BCHL Final sooner, the series could have been started early allowing games to be played at the bigger, better barn.

FAMILY TIES

Vernon Vipers Forward Braden Pimm will face his cousin Bernie (Director of Scouting for the Grande Prairie Storm) who used also to be an assistant coach of the Vipers in ‘05/’06. The Pimms are a from Fort St. John, BC where Mike Vandekamp played his Junior (Huskies) and Senior (Flyers) Hockey, and started his coaching career (coincidentally F.S.J. is where this broadcaster called his first junior hockey on the radio).

GROSSMANN RETURNS

For the third season in a row, Elias Grossmann will face the Vernon Vipers in the playoffs. In each of the past 2 seasons Eli suited up against the snakes as a member of the Vees, but will do so as a member of the Storm this year. Grossmann was acquired by Grande Prairie from the Vees at the Junior ‘A’ trade deadline in January, and was reunited with Mike Vandekamp, who coached him in Prince George with the WHL’s Cougars in ‘06-’07.

HISTORICALLY

The Vipers and Storm have never played before in their history, but Alberta has won the Doyle Cup 6 times this decade, after BC won the Cup 8 times in the 90’s.

Here’s the complete schedule for the 2009 Doyle Cup.

The AJHL and BCHL Finals are set!

ENERFLEX CUP

Spruce Grove vs. Grande Prairie

This best of 7 for the AJHL Championship pits the top two teams from the Northern Division. The Storm have bolted out to a 2 game lead thanks to 4 goals on the man advantage, and Spruce Grove (who lost just 7 games in the regular season) is now behind the 8-ball.

Former Vees tough-guy Elias Grossmann has played 11 of the Storm’s 17 playoff games but has yet to suit up in the league finals due to injury.

Games 3 and 4 run on Saturday and Sunday from Grande Prairie.

AJHL piece on the contrasting styles of play

Boxscores

FRED PAGE CUP

Powell River Kings vs. Vernon Vipers

The Kings and Vipers have put together fantastic seasons to this point and are coming off series victories over very talented clubs (Victoria and Salmon Arm). The Vipers are a physically imposing, deep, and defensively minded club. Meanwhile, the Kings have a lethal power play, six 20-year-old forwards, and an uncanny knack of lighting the lamp.

Travel will be a pain in the butt should this series go six or seven games, as the trip between the Okanagan and the Sunshine Coast is a full day affair sporting 2 ferry rides and often some Greater Vancouver gridlock.

Much like the contrasting styles on display in Alberta, these teams have achieved success through different methods. Here’s the BCHL’s preview

Games 1 and 2 are Friday and Saturday in Powell River. (I’ll take Vernon in 7).

Fred Page Cup Schedule

I sat down with Vees Head Coach and General Manager Fred Harbinson for a mid-day bite on Main Street in Penticton. A windy but warm Friday proved a good opportunity for a final Coach’s Show for Ironman City Subaru in Penticton.

Glenn Hauptman, Flush Photo. No copies or reproduction without permission. FlushPhoto(at)Gmail.com

No better way to celebrate the 1st day of Spring… Well, aside from playing in the Interior Conference Final tonight.

P.S. I’ll take the Vipers in 7

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The second round is done in the AJHL & BCHL. The elite 8 remain.

AJHL (reseeded regardless of division)

Spruce Grove Saints (4-1 Fort McMurray Oil Barons*)

vs. Olds Grizzlies (4-2 Okotoks Oilers)

&

Grande Prairie Storm (4-2 Sherwood Park Crusaders)

vs. Brooks Bandits (4-3 Camrose Kodiaks*^+)

BCHL

INTERIOR CONFERENCE

Vernon Vipers (4-1 Penticton Vees*^)

vs. Salmon Arm Silverbacks (4-1 Westside Warriors)

COASTAL CONFERENCE

Victoria Grizzlies (4-3 Cowichan Valley Capitals)

vs. Powell River Kings (4-1 Surrey Eagles)

* 2008 League Finalist

+ 2008 Doyle Cup Champion

The top two Junior ‘A’ leagues in Canada have whittled their 32 teams down to 26 for the post season with just a single ticket to Victoria up for grabs.

The Doyle Cup annually pits the AJHL Champion (Enerflex Cup) against the BCHL Champion (Fred Page Cup) and the winner is the ‘Pacific’ entry to the National Championship ‘RBC Cup’. With Victoria already assured of their ticket to the National Championship (host privilage), there are now 25 teams fighting for one spot.

With the playoffs starting this weekend in Alberta and B.C. let’s take a look at the field (seed in parentheses)

AJHL

SOUTH DIVISION BYE - (S1) Brooks Bandits

NORTH DIVISION BYE - (N1) Spruce Grove Saints

SOUTH 1st ROUND MATCH-UPS

(S2) Okotoks Oilers vs. (S7) Canmore Eagles

(S3) Olds Grizzlies vs. (S6) Drumheller Dragons

(S4) Calgary Canucks vs. (S5) Camrose Kodiaks*^+

NORTH 1st ROUND MATCH-UPS

(N2) Grande Prairie Storm vs. (N7) Lloydminster Bobcats

(N3) Sherwood Park Crusaders vs. (N6) St. Albert Steel

(N4) Bonnyville Pontiacs vs. (N5) Fort McMurray Oil Barons*

BCHL

INTERIOR CONFERENCE BYES - (I1) Vernon Vipers (I2) Salmon Arm Silverbacks

COASTAL CONFERENCE BYES - (Is1) Victoria Grizzlies (M1) Powell River Kings

INTERIOR 1st ROUND MATCH-UPS

(I3) Westside Warriors vs. (I6) Trail Smoke Eaters

(I4) Penticton Vees*^ vs. (I5) Prince George Spruce Kings

COASTAL 1st ROUND MATCH-UPS

(Is2) Cowichan Valley Capitals vs. (Is3) Nanaimo Clippers* (Island Division)

(M2) Langley Chiefs vs. (M3) Surrey Eagles (Mainland Division)

*League Final Participant Last Season ^League Champion +Doyle Cup Champion

These 26 teams will be chopped down to 16 within 2 weeks, the RBC Cup puck drop is just 65 days away.

Oh yeah, here are the less fortunate:

WESTERN CANADIAN BEST BALL

(S8) Calgary Royals, (N8) Drayton Valley Thunder, (I7) Quesnel Millionaires, (I8) Merritt Centennials, (Is4) Alberni Valley, (M4) Burnaby Express

* The Camrose Kodiaks and Penticton Vees will face-off for the Doyle Cup and the right to go to Cornwall to represent the Pacific Region at the Royal Bank Cup.

* The Kodiaks finaly got their 4th win against the Fort Mac Oil Barons last night in their 3rd try at the trick, winning 2-0 to win the Enerflex Cup. Here’s the Edmonton Sun’s piece on Game 7.

* As champions of the Enerflex Cup, the Kodiaks now make their 5th appearance in the Doyle Cup. The Kodiaks are 4/4, winning the AJHL / BCHL Playoff in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007.

* For the 1st time since 1986 the Vees will move on beyond BC to continue their season.

* The two teams swapped talent earlier this year, with Nigel Dube and Alex MacLeod moving to Alberta for Eric Kroshus in a deal that made both teams better. MacLeod and Dube bring a physical brand of hockey that fit well with the Kodiaks game, while skilled and quick moving Eric Kroshus has been part of a deep top 9 forwards that can all skate and score.

* While one would imagine the Kodiaks were celebrating after last night’s championship, the Vees were at the rink before 8 this morning for a final practice at home before a long bus ride to Camrose.

* The Vees will enter the Doyle Cup after 8 days without a game, Camrose has just today and tomorrow to gear up for Game 1.

* Here’s the schedule for the Doyle Cup.

The Penticton Vees are now up to 3rd spot in the Nation.

Here is the list.

Apparently the Brain Surgeons at CJAHL Control think the Kodiaks will prevail at home tonight!